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Lots of really negative comments about this and other "down home" restos. So, that's great if all you ever want to eat is "slow food" or ethnic cuisines.

What is slow food? Ethnic? How does one define that? Asian and Hispanic foods are deeply ingrained in California culture, they aren't "ethnic", they are part of the mainstream.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

I also like "good old American" food too. It's a sign of the exiting Middle Class native born that we see restos like Cracker Barrel going by the bye.

No its not, its a sign that native Californians find food like Cracker Barrel to be rather foreign. I grew up eating burritos, tacos, chop suey, etc.....not Biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, etc. Cracker Barrel? Gross....I was only exposed to that sort of food as an adult.

There was a Cracker Barrel in Lakewood until semi-recently. Now it's another comfort food place. Chainwise, there's also Hof's Hut, Coco's, Baker's Square, Polly's, Carrow's, Norm's, Denny's(breakfasty, of course), etc. Other places around me include Huff's, Shenandoah at the Arbor, The Shorehouse, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by user_id

No its not, its a sign that native Californians find food like Cracker Barrel to be rather foreign. I grew up eating burritos, tacos, chop suey, etc.....not Biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, etc. Cracker Barrel? Gross....I was only exposed to that sort of food as an adult.

I'd say it's a function of demographics where you live. You're going to find a lot more hole in the wall Mexican places in Santa Ana than you will American comfort food joints. Go to Lakewood and you'll find the opposite.

I asked the manager of Cracker Barrel also why the restaurant chain stays away from the West Coast. I was told basically the same as the other poster mentioned that had asked a manager. That and the required minimum wage paid to servers on the West Coast, would drive up operating costs way to much. Basically the West Coast states don't provide the type business climate that Cracker Barrel desires. I know the closest one to Portland is Boise 435 miles away, and yes I have been there once. I've been to a few of them on the East Coast also. The Chicken & Dumplins, vegetables and sugar free Apple Pie were very good. The salad was pretty good also. Don't know how the rest of their food is, thats the only meal I have eaten there.

I will say the Cracker Barrel restaurants don't seem to be in need of customers. The restaurants I have been to there is always a line waiting for a table. I find the food very reasonbly priced.

I'd say it's a function of demographics where you live. You're going to find a lot more hole in the wall Mexican places in Santa Ana than you will American comfort food joints. Go to Lakewood and you'll find the opposite.

I was more so speaking about California as a whole. Californians, that is people born and raised here, tend not to eat so called "down home" food much so it shouldn't be surprising to find the restaurants (especially the large ones) that serve that sort of food to start going out of business as the states population becomes more and more native.

Anyhow...."down home" cooking to a California isn't chicken and dumplings, etc. I find it odd to insist that people throughout the country should have some sort of deference to the eating habits of those in the South....

I was told basically the same as the other poster mentioned that had asked a manager. That and the required minimum wage paid to servers on the West Coast, would drive up operating costs way to much. Basically the West Coast states don't provide the type business climate that Cracker Barrel desires.

This really makes no sense. A Cracker barrel in California isn't competing with restaurants in other states, instead it will be competing with restaurants that have to deal with the same wage issues as them. Maybe the executives at Cracker Barrel have some ideological barrier to doing business on the west coast, but it has nothing to do with operating costs being unmanageable, etc.

I was more so speaking about California as a whole. Californians, that is people born and raised here, tend not to eat so called "down home" food much so it shouldn't be surprising to find the restaurants (especially the large ones) that serve that sort of food to start going out of business as the states population becomes more and more native.

Anyhow...."down home" cooking to a California isn't chicken and dumplings, etc. I find it odd to insist that people throughout the country should have some sort of deference to the eating habits of those in the South....

Dang it, user ... I presume you have some authenticated studies or other proof to back up your statements in bold above? I hope you're not just posting some opinion here ... that would be nasty.

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